


baby, you're the only light i ever saw

by spideyscoming



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M, jake and amy are huge fans of each other, oscars au, these dorks are crushing on each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-12 01:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11726457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideyscoming/pseuds/spideyscoming
Summary: Amy smiled at every person she came into contact with; she didn’t want for a camera to catch her at a moment when she was frowning or looking bored while she was speaking to another A-list celebrity. She could feel her mouth beginning to tire; she needed a break from all these people and all these smiles. She quickly excused herself from the actress she was speaking to (she thinks maybe it was Sophia Perez, but she can’t really remember).She began making her way to the restroom when she bumped into him. Andy Samberg.Oh, shit, wait. No, Amy thought, he’s Andy Samberg on-screen, but off-screen, he’s Jake Peralta.Suddenly, Amy Santiago didn’t feel like going to the restroom anymore.





	baby, you're the only light i ever saw

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i'm back with another peraltiago au because i love these nerds so much. the first dress amy wears is emma watson's shanghai dress for the beauty and the beast premiere, and her second dress is lily collins' 2017 oscars after party dress.

Amy Santiago was running in her neighborhood when she first got the news. Her song stopped playing through her headphones, and she looked down at her phone to see an incoming call from her manager, Rosa Diaz. She stopped running, and for a moment, she considered not answering the call, but Rosa terrified her to no end even if they were close friends, so she opted to answered the phone.

“Hey, Rosa. What’s up?”

“Amy! Do you know yet?”

Amy wiped some sweat off her forehead. “Know what yet?”

“You’re nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for _The Mattress_! Amy, this is _huge_! I’m so proud of you—”

Amy felt her heart stop for a moment. She was nominated for an Oscar? She teared up as she thought about all the obstacles she had to go through just to get the role of Melissa Fumero in her latest film, _The Mattress_. She couldn’t believe this was happening—to _her_ out of all the talented actresses in the world. She remembered thinking she would never land a leading role after she graduated from NYU, especially since Hollywood wasn’t exactly diverse, but here she was years later, an Academy Award nominated actress. She couldn’t wait to tell her parents; she could already see them crying and telling her how proud of her they are.

“Thanks so much, Rosa,” she sniffled, “for everything. I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t given me a chance. Granted, I probably won’t win the award, but this is already more than enough for me.”

She heard Rosa clear her throat through her phone, and it made her smile a bit. Rosa wasn’t the most emotional person, but she had a feeling she was just as excited as Amy was. “Yeah, yeah, Santiago. You’re welcome. Anyway, the Oscars aren’t until March 4th, and that’s a month away, but I’ve already booked your appointment with your so called Glam Bang—”

“—technically, that’s Kylie’s preferred name for the team, not mine—”

“—and they’re all ready to go for that day, so you’re going to look mega hot, Santiago.”

Amy pouted. “Am I not mega hot right now? I mean, I am sweating because I was—”

The line went dead, which she could only mean Rosa hung up on her before she could even finish her joke.

* * *

As expected, Amy’s parents cried when she told them the news later that day. Her mom kept on hugging her and kept saying, _Estoy bien orgullosa de ti, mi amor_ , and, _Mi hija es la mejor actriz del mundo_ , and Amy had to tell her several times, _No, mami, I’m not the best actress in the world because I didn’t win the award—I was just nominated_ , but her mother didn’t seem to care about that.

Her father was more pulled together than her mother. He cried, too, but he was well aware of the fact that she hadn’t won the award. It was nothing but a nomination, but his smile and eyes displayed nothing but pure pride and joy for her.

Her parents knew how hard it was for her to grow as an actress and earn recognition; it wasn’t easy trying to land a role in an upcoming film when someone with a huge name like Jennifer Lawrence was also in the talks of being casted. Nonetheless, Amy found herself auditioning for roles that she felt were suitable for her; she started off small by being a lead actress in a TV series, but then Rosa called her in one day and started getting her supporting roles in films. It was nice, but Amy Santiago wasn’t going to settle for nice. She wanted to be a lead in a film; she wanted to show representation and show Hollywood what the future could be. Eventually, Rosa did it.

Amy was casted as Melissa Fumero in _The Mattress_ alongside Terry Jeffords, and the film was a huge success. After that, she started getting phone calls about leading in other major upcoming films, and Amy was glowing. She had done it; she made her dream work out, but that didn’t mean she was done trying to bring more representation in Hollywood.

Now that she had an Oscar nomination in her pocket, Amy was going to use her platform to bring more awareness in the lack of representation for people of color in Hollywood.

Amy and her parents sat in their kitchen eating her favorite dish, _bistec de palomilla_ , as a way to celebrate her accomplishment. The small television perched in the corner near the microwave was on, and they watched the news as they ate. It wasn’t long before the anchor brought up the nominees of this year’s Oscars, and Amy tried to push off the smile that was forming on her face.

“…were the films nominated for Best Picture, and it’ll be thrilling to see which one of those remarkable films take the award this year,” the lady said with a smile, “The nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role this year are Keith Pembroke ( _The Vulture_ ), Terry Jeffords ( _The Mattress_ ), Doug Judy ( _The Pontiac Bandit_ ), Adrian Pimento ( _Paranoia_ ), and Jake Peralta ( _Crime and Punishment_ ).”

Amy’s eyes widened. _Jake Peralta was nominated for Best Actor?_

Unbeknownst to anyone (except Rosa and Kylie), Amy had a tiny crush on Jake Peralta. She had seen most of his filmography, and she knew this man was beyond talented. He has portrayed just about every character on the spectrum (her favorite role of his was his role as Andy Samberg in the _Nine-Nine_ ), and she felt like she was watching him act for the first time every time. He was amazing at his job, and Amy has always wanted to meet him and—maybe in the far, _far_ future—work alongside him. From what she’s heard about him, he’s nothing but sweet and humble to everyone he knows and meets. The fact that they were both nominated for an Oscar made her think of all the possibilities in which she got to meet him.

“…and Amy Santiago ( _The Mattress_ ). Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees! What an incredible amount of talent we have this year!”

She felt her dad clap her back and heard her mom cry again at the sound of her name being announced. She might not win the award, but it didn’t matter. The reactions she kept getting from her parents were more than enough to make her feel like she won.

* * *

 The following weeks leading up to the Oscars, Amy received endless phone calls filled with _Congratulations, Amy!_ from her relatives and past co-stars; she even received two sets of flower arrangements, one of which was from Raymond Holt, a recognized and respected director in the industry. The card on his arrangement read:

_Congratulations on your outstanding performance and nomination, Miss Santiago. I would love to work with you on a project that is currently in the works. Hope to see you at the Oscars this year._

__-_ Raymond Holt _

She just about fainted when she finished reading the card. She adored his work in the industry, and he wanted to work with _her_? She was on Cloud Nine, and she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to come down from it.

The other flower piece came with a card, but there was no indication of who it was from. As Amy studied the flowers, she admittedly liked this one just a _tad_ bit more than the one from Holt (she would never say that aloud). Granted, she knew little to nothing about flowers, but the flowers were a bright yellow. The card read:

_Congratulations on your nomination! I’m a huge fan of your work, and I’d love to get the chance to speak to you there. See you in a month._

Amy, at first, was wary that it might be from a stranger or a fan who was following her around, so she told Rosa about it. To help and ensure she was safe, they had a bodyguard follow Amy around for the rest of the month, at least until the Oscars arrived.

It wasn’t long before Amy found herself sitting in her home with her Glam Bang team, which consisted of Gina Linetti (whom she was pretty sure was crushing on Rosa), Genevieve, and Emily (Gina’s assistant).

Amy likes to say her and the Glam Bang team are pretty much good friends, but she’s pretty sure they’re only here because saying no to Rosa is a huge mistake and because of Rosa and Gina’s undeniable crush on each other (she doesn’t say anything in fear of Gina “accidentally” burning her hair off or Rosa landing her a role with Keith Pembroke). Luckily for Amy, they’re all damn good at their jobs. They always leave her feeling powerful and gorgeous, and Amy’s never sure how they manage to make her look incredible.

Amy stared at herself in the mirror, and as she gave herself a once over, she came to the silent realization that this is the best she has ever looked for an event. She wore an Elie Saab haute couture embellished nude dress with an Enchantress-esque, jewel-covered sheer cloak. She wore a bold red lip and the soft waves on her hair made her feel magical.

“You guys,” she said with a soft smile, “I look amazing.”

Gina strode up next to her and grabbed her shoulders. “Of course, you do, boo. Because all this,” she motioned at Amy’s gown and makeup, “was provided by us talented wizards and all you had to do was sit there and look pretty.”

“You think I’m pretty?”

Gina groaned. “Ugh, Rosa, take her away from me. I can’t bear to see her for another minute.”

As much as Gina insulted her, Amy had a feeling that Gina did care about her and considered her a friend. Maybe.

* * *

 The moment Amy Santiago stepped out onto the red carpet was exhilarating and exhausting. Although she has been to several red-carpet events, the flashing lights always took her by surprise. Paparazzi shouting questions and commands left and right, and she never knew which way to turn or what to answer. Today, however, Amy decided to relax; she was going to just breeze through the carpet, flash a smile here and there, and not get caught up in pointless questions that had nothing to do with her work or nomination.

As she made her way to the first interviewer, she saw some of her co-stars and other celebrities. She spotted Terry and his wife posing for the cameras, Keith Pembroke who seemed to be trying to hook up with Bianca (Amy was pretty sure she was married to Leo Iannucci), Sophia Perez answering some questions a few people away from her. She couldn’t help but wonder when—or if—she’d run into Raymond Holt tonight, and a small part of her couldn’t help but wonder if she’d catch a glimpse of Jake Peralta, too.

“Good evening, Amy. How are you?” The reporter asked.

Amy flashed her a smile. “I’m great! How about you?”

“Oh, I’m great, thank you for asking. Are you excited about tonight?”

Amy answered several questions about her nominations (“ _Do you expect to win tonight_?”), future projects (“ _When do you start filming for_ The Night Shift?”), and possible collaborations (“ _Would you ever film with Keith Pembroke_?”). It was all going really well, and then she was ushered into the venue by Vivian Ludley, a lady who worked with Rosa and her management.

The atmosphere in the venue was almost chilling. It was a lot quieter than the all the flashing lights and questions being thrown around. Amy watched as several actresses and actors interacted amongst each other and congratulated each other for their nominations; she could almost hear Rosa telling her to go up to someone and speak to them, and as soon as Amy was about to go congratulate Kevin Cozner on his nomination for Best Cinematography, she was approached by someone.

“Hi! Amy Santiago, right?” Amy nodded with a smile. “I’m Teddy Wells. Congratulations on your nomination tonight. Your performance was absolutely incredible.”

Amy knew who Teddy Wells was. She’d never worked with him, but she had seen a few of the films he starred in, and she’d never say this aloud, but his films always seemed to make her doze off. She never seemed to focus on the movie, but she couldn’t tell if it was the writing or his acting that bored her to sleep.

Amy politely made conversation with Teddy for a couple of minutes before she realized that Teddy was the boring one and not the writer of the movies he starred in. As he avidly spoke to her about pilsners, Amy’s eyes darted around the venue, hoping to spot someone she knew to get her out of this conversation. Her eyes quickly found Terry’s, and she gave him a quick, subtle hint to rescue her. As soon as Terry began making his way towards her, she returned her attention back to Teddy and nodded and faked a laugh whenever needed.

“Amy!” Terry said with a smile.

“Terry!” She threw her arms around him and whispered, “Thank you so much for this. I owe you.”

“Hey, Teddy,” Terry greeted with a handshake. “I hope you don’t mind, but I need to steal Santiago here for a few pictures and introduce her to some people.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s not a problem,” Teddy stated, “I’ll have my manager contact yours, Amy. I’d like to get to know you better.”

_Note to self: Tell Rosa to avoid Teddy and his manager_ , she thought.

Amy gave him a fake smile. “Absolutely! See you around.”

She wrapped her arm around Terry’s and walked away to where his wife and their co-stars stood. Amy hoped to not run into Teddy for the rest of the night.

* * *

 Amy smiled at every person she met; she didn’t want for a camera to catch her at a moment when she was frowning or looking bored while she was speaking to another A-list celebrity. She could feel her mouth beginning to tire; she needed a break from all these people and all these smiles. She quickly excused herself from the actress she was speaking to (she thinks maybe it was Sophia Perez, but she can’t really remember).

She began making her way to the restroom when she bumped into him. Andy Samberg.

_Oh, shit, wait. No_ , Amy thought, _he’s Andy Samberg on-screen, but off-screen, he’s Jake Peralta_.

Suddenly, Amy Santiago didn’t feel like going to the restroom anymore.

“H—hi,” she stuttered, “I’m so sorry about that.”

Jake Peralta stared at her for a few seconds, and it gave Amy a chance to appreciate how beautiful he looked tonight (she thought he looked beautiful all the time). He wore a simple black tuxedo with a white button-down and black tie. _Simple, but elegant_ , she thought.

“Oh, no, that was my fault,” he scratched the back of his neck, “I should’ve been watching where I was going.”

Amy almost couldn’t believe this man. She clearly bumped into _him_. “No, really, it was my fault. I was looking for a little break from all the conversations and smiles.”

Jake raised an eyebrow, and the corners of his mouth formed a small smile. “So, you’re looking for a break from this conversation, too?”

Her mouth dried up, and she felt her face flush in embarrassment. “No! No, no, no,” she quickly said, “I’m a huge fan of your work. I’ve always wanted to speak to you.”

Amy’s eyes widened. Did she just say that? To the man she might have a small crush on? She was never going to live this one down nor forget it. She looked up at Jake’s face to see if there was any indication that he was about to call security or get a restraining order against her, but he appeared to be blushing and looked like he wanted to say something.

“Amy, you need to be seated now,” Vivian stated in her ear, which made her jump.

“Yeah, okay, I’m going,” Amy glanced back at Jake only to see him talking to Sophia Perez, which ultimately deflated her spirit a bit, but it’s not like they were dating. They didn’t even know each other.

Amy took a deep breath and placed a smile on her face and walked down to her seat. She hoped the rest of the night went smoothly.

* * *

 Amy watched from the audience as several of the most respected names in the industry went up to receive their awards and give their speeches. She witnessed Kevin Cozner go up and deliver a moving speech after his win, and then declare his love for his husband (“ _To my dear, Raymond, I love you_.”) She watched with pride as her film, _The Mattress_ , snagged a couple of awards along the way.

Eventually, they were down to the last three categories: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Picture. Amy was nervous; she had been calm and collected the entire night (other than her incident with Jake), but the nerves were barely hitting her now. She knew her parents were watching from the comforts of their home, but she couldn’t help but wish they were there to comfort her.

“The nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role are: Sophia Perez ( _The Road Trip_ ), Madeline Wuntch ( _New Captain_ ), Maura Figgis ( _Maximum Security_ ), Melanie Hawkins ( _Crime and Punishment_ ), and Amy Santiago ( _The Mattress_ ),” the announcer read. “And the Oscar goes to…”

Amy closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

_A nomination is more than enough, a nomination is more than enough, a nomination is more than enough, a nomination—_

“Amy Santiago ( _The Mattress_ ).”

Amy’s eyes shot wide open. She saw the people next to her stand up and clap. She heard some wolf whistles from Terry and cheering from his wife. She tried to gather her emotions and best as she could and made her way to the stage.

A man she recognized as Dustin Whitman handed her the Oscar; Amy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and thanked him after he congratulated her.

Amy turned her attention to the audience, and her eyes quickly scanned the audience (it was a habit). “Well, this was unexpected.”

People at the audience laughed at her comment, which she was grateful for. “I’d like to start this off by thanking the Academy. I’d like to thank my manager, Rosa, who terrifies me to death, but I love her, nonetheless.”

She paused. She didn’t want to waste her entire speech on thanking everyone in her life. She needed to do more.

“Actually, let me stop right there. Dear Hollywood,” she began, “what is up with the lack of people of color being represented in the industry? It’s not hard to properly cast an actor or actress in a role not made for a white persona. People want to be able to see themselves being represented on-screen. Give them someone to connect to. As a woman of color, it took several years to see someone like myself on the big screen; it took years for someone to give me a serious role, for someone to give me a chance, and I could just say, _it was worth the wait_ , but there shouldn’t be a wait. Do the right thing. Give the world the proper representation it needs. Thank you.”

The applause and hollers (more than likely from Terry and his wife) Amy got were deafening.

* * *

 Amy was wearing a different dress. She was currently in a limo that would be taking her to the Oscars After Party even though she wished she was at home sleeping, but Rosa wasn’t having it tonight (“ _Santiago, this is_ your _night. You just won an Oscar. Go out and celebrate._ ”). Amazingly, Gina and the Glam Bang had another dress for the evening, and Amy felt like she could seduce anyone (she wasn’t going to). She was wearing another Elie Saab dress, but this one was a black, sheer dress with a plunging neckline.

Once she was past the red carpet and actually at the party, she began searching for Terry. She didn’t want to make the same mistake as last time and wait until Teddy Wells found her (the thought of another conversation with him made her want to fall asleep right then and there).

“Miss Santiago!”

Amy turned and found herself face to face with Raymond Holt. She tried not to look as stunned as she felt. “Raymond, hi! How are you?”

Holt stared at her briefly as if he couldn’t believe she had asked him such a ridiculous question (Amy thought the question was casual). And then he laughed.

“Miss Santiago,” he began, “I am not here to talk about me. I’m here to congratulate you on your win. It was very well deserved. As for your speech,” he paused and it made Amy wonder if he was about to criticize her, “it was about time someone called out Hollywood in their home turf. Some of the people in that audience needed to hear those words, so I thank you for that.”

“Oh, uh, wow, that means a lot to me coming from you. Thank you,” Amy stammered.

“You’re welcome. Miss Santiago—”

“—you can call me Amy,” she interjected.

“—Miss Santiago,” Holt continued, “I want to talk to you about a project that’s currently in the works. I believe I mentioned it in the arrangement I sent to you.”

“Yes, you did. Thank you for the flowers. They were quite lovely,” she added.

“My husband picked them out; you should thank him when you meet him later,” Holt said, “anyway, I’m working with a writer named Charles Boyle, I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

Amy nodded. “Yes, I worked with him a couple of years ago.”

“He’s written a screenplay that’s absolutely fantastic, and the lead roles were based off you and a close friend of his. We were wondering if you’d consider—”

“Yes,” Amy cut in with excitement, “absolutely, yes. I’d love to work with you. Count me in.”

Holt gave her a nod. “Excellent. I’ll inform Boyle tomorrow, and we’ll work out the details from there. The name of the film, at the moment, is _Johnny and Dora_ , but it’s subject to change.”

_This is amazing_ , she thought, _Johnny and Dora, starring Amy Santiago and…_

“I’m sorry, who did you say was the other lead?”

“Ah, yes. His name is Jake Peralta. He was just nominated tonight for Best Actor.”

* * *

 Amy didn’t get much sleep after she got home. All she thought about was her win and her speech and working with Holt and working with Jake Peralta. Life kept on giving and giving and giving, and Amy Santiago was trying to absorb it all.

She was watching the news the next morning while eating breakfast when she got a message.

**From: Unknown Number**

**heyyyyy amy whacha doin**

Amy made a face at the person’s lack of grammar.

**From: Amy Santiago**

**Who is this?**

Not even a minute later, she got a reply that almost made her spit out her coffee.

**From: Unknown Number**

**joke peralta**

**From: Unknown Number**

**o shit that should say *jake lmao**

“Alright, alright,” she put her phone down, “it’s just Jake Peralta texting you. No big deal. Just be cool. He’s just another human like you.”

_Except you have a crush on him_ , her mind reminded her.

Amy ignored that thought and picked up her phone.

**From: Amy Santiago**

**Hey, Jake. I’m just having breakfast and watching the news.**

Amy felt like a loser after realizing what she sent. He’s going to think she’s so lame.

**From: Jake Peralta**

**cool cool cool cool cool cool cool no doubt no doubt**

**From: Jake Peralta**

**do u wanna get lunch 2day???**

_Is this what having a heart attack feels like_ , Amy thought after she read the text.

Jake Peralta, her celebrity crush, wanted to have lunch with _her_. After last night and this, she wasn’t quite sure how she was still breathing.

**From: Amy Santiago**

**Sounds great. Does Sal’s Pizza at 2:00 work for you?**

**From: Jake Peralta**

**omg u go 2 sals??? ur incredible**

**From: Jake Peralta**

**@ 2 cool cool cool i’ll see u there**

* * *

 Amy called Gina right after her conversation with Jake and told her the situation. Gina’s response?

“Oh, don’t worry about Jake. We grew up together, and he’s a bit of a dork.”

“What do you mean you ‘grew up together’?”

“It’s exactly as it sounds, Ames,” she said, “Besides, if I’m being honest, he has this big old loser crush on you, so you could show up rolled up in crime scene tape, and he’d still be heart eyes over you.”

“How do you know this? No, wait, Gina!”

And just like that, Gina had enough of Amy and hung up.

* * *

 Amy sat by herself in booth at Sal’s, waiting for Jake. She never bothered hiding who she was when she was out in public; people weren’t stupid. They’d figure out sooner or later who she was, and besides, she knew Sal. She used to spend so much time at his pizza place that he practically considered her family.

She glanced down at her watch to see that it was 1:57.

Amy was exceptionally early to everything, so she wasn’t shocked to see that he hadn’t showed up yet.

“Amy, hey.”

She was wrong. She looked up to see Jake Peralta wearing a plaid button-down, hoodie, jeans, and a leather jacket along with a grin plastered on his face. She’s seen him in different outfits in his films, but this outfit that he was wearing was _him_. Simple and nice.

“Hi,” Amy stretched her hand out for a handshake, but Jake appeared to be going for hug.

“I’m sorry—”

“Oh, shit—”

They looked at each other before laughing at their awkward attempt to greet each other.

Jake slid in the seat across from her. “Congrats on last night. Your performance—and your speech—were beyond amazing. You totally deserve that award.”

Amy blushed. “Thanks. I’m sorry you didn’t win. Your performance was nothing short of spectacular.”

Jake shrugged. “It’s all good. Your co-star won, so I’m sure you’re still happy.”

“Yeah,” she smiled, “I’m happy for Terry. He worked really hard.”

“Terry’s always been a hard worker. I’m just glad it paid off for him.”

“Hold up, you know Terry?” Amy asked.

Jake laughed. “Oh, I know him alright. I’m the godfather of his daughter, Ava. He and I have been friends for years now.”

_Does everyone know Jake Peralta?_ She thought.

“Hey, kids, what do you guys want to order?”

Amy tore her gaze away from Jake to see Sal standing by the edge of their table. “I’ll have my—”

“Surprise us, Sal,” Jake exclaimed.

Amy raised an eyebrow. “That works for me.”

Sal chuckled. “You kids are about to have your minds blown.”

* * *

 Sal was right.

“This is so good,” Jake moaned.

“Leave it to Sal to have the best pizza in Brooklyn,” Amy agreed.

Amy took a sip of her drink. “So, Jake, why did you want to have lunch with me?”

Jake choked on his slice of pizza, and all Amy could do was laugh. It took him a few seconds to recover before he answered with, “I—I’m a huge fan of yours, Amy. Like _mega_ huge. I’ve seen just about every film of yours, including the show you were on. I even sent you flowers after I found out about your nomination,” he admitted.

“You mean the lovely yellow flowers were from you?”

“That was me,” he admitted weakly. “Except I completely forgot to put who it was from, and I didn’t realize till after I placed the order.”

“So, you wanted to have lunch with me because you’re a fan of my work?” She teased.

“Yes and no,” Jake stated. “I’m also here to talk to you about the film with Boyle and Holt, _Johnny and Dora_. He, uh, pitched the idea to me, and I told him he should write it, and well, Charles knows about my crush on you—”

This time Amy was the one choking on her pizza. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing, nothing!” Jake frantically said. “You did not hear that.”

“Except I did,” Amy pointed out.

“ _Anyway_ ,” he loudly stated, “he based the characters off me and you. He knows how much I’ve been wanting to work with you and get to know you, and he tossed the idea to Holt, who also admires your work—”

Amy was melting on the inside.

“—and he ultimately decided he wanted to collaborate with Charles on this because he feels we would have ‘good chemistry’ together.”

Amy finished her pizza before responding. “Holt’s right.”

“About?”

“Us having good chemistry.”

Jake grew red at her words. “Why do you say that?”

“Because Joke Peralta—”

“—it was the autocorrect!”

“—I, too, have a little crush on you,” Amy finished.

Jake gaped at her for a couple of seconds, and Amy wondered if maybe she should’ve waited before telling him that she, too, was crushing on him.

“…am I allowed to call this a date?”

“Only if I’m allowed to call this a date,” Amy said with a gleam in her eyes.

“Deal!”

* * *

 2 Months Later

* * *

  **From: Joke Peralta**

**go on another date w/ me 2morrow pls**

**From: Ames**

**You’re lucky I like you.**

**From: Joke Peralta**

**is that a yes??**

**From: Joke Peralta**

**omg ames pls dont leave me hanging like dis**

**From: Ames**

**Tomorrow. My house. Die Hard. Chinese takeout. 7:00. Don’t be late.**

**From: Joke Peralta**

**ur so perfect**

**From: Joke Peralta**

**just be my gf already**

**From: Ames**

**Try again.**

_Incoming call from Joke Peralta._

Amy let her phone ring for a few seconds; she was staring at his contact picture. It was selfie he had accidentally taken of both of them while mid-laugh. It had easily become one of her favorite pictures ever.

Eventually, Amy answered the call.

“Hey, Joke.”

“Amy Santiago,” Jake said through the other end, “will you make me the happiest man alive and be my girlfriend?”

“Try again.”

* * *

 It was 7:00 in the morning, and Amy Santiago did not have to work today. She wasn’t scheduled to work for another two weeks, so why was someone knocking on her door?

She begrudgingly threw the comforter off her body and made her way to the door.

“ _Jake_?”

“Surprise! And good morning, Ames,” Jake exclaimed with a grin.

“Jake, why are you here at seven in the morning? We’re scheduled to watch _Die Hard_ at seven in the _evening_.”

“I’m trying again,” he said as he got down on one knee.

If Amy wasn’t awake before, she certainly was now. “Jake—”

“Amy Santiago,” Jake pulled out a Ring Pop from his pocket, “will you make me the happiest man alive and be my girlfriend?”

Amy blinked. She _really_ liked this man—this man who happened to love every single _Die Hard_ movie, knew every Taylor Swift song ever, ate candy for breakfast, and was the most unorganized person she’d ever met.

“You’re a buffoon,” she began, “but I really like Ring Pops, and you make me laugh, so I’ll keep you.”

Jake’s grin got even bigger (she wasn’t sure how that was possible). “Is that a yes?”

Amy rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face was not hiding her true feelings. “Yes, Joke Peralta, I will be your girlfriend.”

“It was the autocorrect,” Jake whined.

Amy pulled him up from the ground. “Whatever you say,” she teased.

Jake leaned in to kiss her, but Amy placed a finger on his lips. “Not so fast, Pineapples—”

“ _Ames_!”

“—I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”

They kissed for a long while after she brushed her teeth, and it was then that Amy Santiago decided that she could get used to doing this and more with Jake Peralta.

**Author's Note:**

> hi, please leave me some feedback on what you thought! i'd like to know if i got some things wrong when it came to amy's speech; i am a woc so i tried using how i feel about the lack of representation, but please let me know if i didn't word something right or if it was messy. i am open to learning from my mistakes! thank you for reading!  
> twitter: @stateofgrcce


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